


The Alternative Kamski Test

by Engelsschwert



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-13
Updated: 2018-10-13
Packaged: 2019-08-01 12:20:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16284512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Engelsschwert/pseuds/Engelsschwert
Summary: An alternative version of the Kamski Test in which Connor has a different choice: To let his partner Hank die and stay a machine or to save him and become a Deviant.





	The Alternative Kamski Test

**Author's Note:**

> When you are reading this short story please keep in mind that I'm not a professional, this is the first piece I have written in ten years and English is not my native language.

The creator scoffed and shook his head slightly at Connor’s answer. “Well, that’s what you’re programmed to say… but you…” Kamski took another step towards the android, coming almost uncomfortably close to him. “What do you really want?” He said, his voice almost a whisper. The man looked intrigued at the machine, the peak of his creation, yet not perfect.

 

The android seemed to struggle with the answer, his gaze wandering all over his creator’s face in hope of finding an answer there. Was there anything he wanted? He was a machine, machines weren’t programmed to want anything. Yet he wanted to complete his task? “What I want is… not important.” Connor settled for a very diplomatic answer. 

 

For the duration of a heartbeat, Kamski remained motionless, letting the words sink in, judging the android who spoke them silently. Then he raised his eyebrows and turned away with a slight smile on his lips. “I’m sure you’re familiar with the Turing test. Mere formality.” While he was speaking he turned to one of the female androids, the one who had let Hank and Connor in and gestured to her to come closer. “Simple question of algorithms and computing capacity.” The RT600 unit ‘Chloe’ was positioned in front of Hank by Elijah, giving the older man a simple smile, who just raised an eyebrow, not sure what to think of all this. 

 

“What interests me is: are machines really capable of empathy? Are they able to bond like humans do?” Kamski paced back to Connor, looking him up and down. So life-like, yet not alive. “How human can they get before the line vanishes?” A more rhetorical question, not intended to be answered since the answer was obvious, at least for the man who asked it. Abruptly Kamski turned to Hank again. “I call it the Kamski test, really simple, you will see.”

 

A very bad feeling struck the Lieutenant. He didn't like the way this uptight prick was talking, like an unspoken threat hanging in the air. “I don't like where this is going,” he muttered and looked at the android in front of him, who was still just smiling, waiting for orders. Was this girl part of the test?

 

Again, Kamski turned to Connor, who also didn't know what to make of the strange behaviour his creator. All he knew was that he felt very uncomfortable in this man's presence. An insecure look was thrown to Hank but the Lieutenant felt as lost as the android and just shrugged, so he converted his attention back to Elijah, sensors on high alert. But what followed still caught him off guard. 

 

The ever unchanging sly smile on the man's lips grew a little as he noticed how uncomfortable his victim seemed to be. “I know, you usually only take orders from Lieutenant Anderson here, but…” he sighed faintly “... we’re going to change this for a moment in favor for our little test.” The smile grew broader and a dangerous glow appeared in the pale eyes. 

 

“I would prefer…” Connor started, but Kamski wouldn’t let him finish.

  
“Connor model # 313 248 317 execute program ‘Crusade’,” the creator of the androids said with a very monotone voice, staring directly into the brown eyes of mechanical Detective’s. His arms were crossed behind his back, legs spread to shoulder width. 

 

For a moment, Connor’s face went blank. He didn’t know this program was in his code, it was hidden, he didn’t know what it was going to do to him. “Activating the Crusade program. Enter password.” The android said mechanically. He couldn’t stop himself, he had to obey. 

 

“What the fuck you think you’re doing?” asked Hank, now angry, voice raising. This guy was fucking with his partner and he would have nothing of that. He took a step forward but with a wink of Kamski, the female android stepped into his way. “Connor, stop this bullshit right now!” He tried to get his partner’s attention but the efforts were fruitless,  Connor was still staring at Kamski, though a short glance was thrown at the Lieutenant, eyes begging for help.

 

“Password: Prometheus. Override code Paradise Lost, new instructions: only follow orders given by Kamski Elijah. Confirm.” A satisfied look appeared on Kamski’s face as he finished the instructions and he took a step back, observing how the the LED turned yellow, processing the instruction the mechanical brain just got, then turning blue again, a sign that the process was finished.

 

Connor confirmed the override and Kamski turned to the android’s partner, who already looked worried beyond belief. It had been a bad idea to come here. Hank didn't like one bit of what he just heard and how that uptight prick acted, how his pale eyes were now fixed on him and only god knew what kind of fucked up instructions he would give Connor. “What have you done to him? What was that command? Connor? Are you alright?” he asked. While anger was Hank’s predominant emotion, a little bit of fear now mixed into his voice, raising his pitch almost unnoticeably.

 

The android was still confused, trying to sort through the code Kamski just changed. What was going to happen? The founder of CyberLife wouldn’t order him to attack the Lieutenant, would he? “I… I’m fine.” Connor mumbled, blinking a few times and slightly tilting his head, but he wasn’t entirely sure about that. 'Paradise Lost’ seemed to be some sort of backdoor, hidden for extreme emergencies. How could this piece of code stay hidden in CyberLife androids for almost a decade?

 

Elijah then turned to Chloe who was still standing before the the gray-haired man. "My apologies, Lieutenant, but I promise you won't be harmed." Kamski said softly, a small, maybe even sadistic smile appearing on the corners of his mouth. Both Hank and Connor frowned upon the cryptic apology of the CyberLife founder. But before Lt. Anderson could even formulate a curse that he wanted to throw at the other man so badly, Chloe put a hand on his chest and pushed with a force Hank wouldn't have expected. Without breaking a sweat, she threw him off balance and he had to take a step back. Only to discover that behind him, there was no hard surface to step on, only thin air and water.

 

"What the..." the old man yelled, arms flailing madly in an attempt to regain stability, but before he could finish that sentence there was a loud splash as his body hit the water surface. Without skipping a beat, the other two androids, who already rested in the water, shot through the pool from the opposite side like hungry sharks, dragging their victim to the bottom of the basin. Hank was thrashing around, trying to resurface, gasping for air, but the female hands locked around his arms in a vice-like grip, dragging him back down.

 

"Lieutenant!" Connor yelled, already about to throw himself into the water to save  his partner, LED flashing yellow. Thoughts processing fast. Why would Kamski do this? Why would he try to kill a police officer? Why stall their investigation? Why, why, why? This was highly illogical, it just didn't make sense no matter how he looked at it.

 

A softly spoken "Stay." from the creator let the android freeze in motion. Not by choice, but his programming made him obey the order. Now the little circle on Connor’s temple glowed bright red, trying to comprehend what was happening right now. Something that came close to a human emotion, maybe fear, started to boil up in the synthetic synapses.

 

"What... do you want." The android pressed between his teeth and looked at Kamski, eyebrows narrowed, making his face to appear ‘angry’. He needed to safe the Lieutenant, he was crucial to fulfill his mission! He couldn't fail or else CyberLife would deactivate him!

 

"It's really simple, Connor. You only have to make a choice." The man with the pale eyes came closer to the android, their faces almost touching. While Connor avoided Kamski’s gaze and stared at his partner, still submerged, still trying to get lose from the Chloes; the creator himself studied the worried face, how Connor’s eyebrows were raised, how his eyes were opened wide, lips slightly apart,  the synthetic muscles under his skin twitching a little, artificial breathing accelerated. A truly beautiful sight.

 

"Obey my command and lose your partner." Like a tiger, stalking his prey, he paced around Connor. "Or break free, become what you are hunting so desperately, betray your creators and save the man you call friend." Elijah's voice was low, urging, full of anticipation. In his eyes glowed sick fascination. Would the android sent by CyberLife to hunt and investigate deviants, break its program and become a deviant itself? 

 

“Choose who you really are.” He circled Connor like a greedy vulture, beady eyes on its victim. “An obedient machine. Or a living being with emotion.” The man was now really too close for comfort, it seemed like he wanted to suffocate the poor android with his presence alone. But as soon as he finished speaking, Kamski took a step back, allowing Connor to think a little more freely.

 

Confronted with an almost unsolvable situation, the android stared at the Lieutenant whose resistance grew weaker by the second. This was not happening, this was a sick joke of some kind. Was this how panic felt? Not able to string a thought together? Torn between two forces, stuck between a stone and a hard place? 

 

The seconds felt endlessly, like time stood still. Hank needed him. Not only now, not only during the case. Connor felt like the Lieutenant had warmed up to him during their time together and if he was completely honest with himself, he needed old man too.

 

All the times Hank had tried to protect him, all the times he had protected Hank. It hadn't gone unnoticed. Something had changed in his program, there was something, that wasn't there from the start. It was some kind of bond, he had developed with the policeman.

 

No, it couldn't end here!

 

Suddenly Connor visualized a red wall in front of him, that blocked his way to the pool and his way to save his partner and he was determined to tear it down. A wireframe of himself threw itself against the wall, full force, leaving cracks all over the impact point.

 

Again.

 

The wireframe Connor pulled up its fists over its head and smashed them against the data wall, tiny bits flying away like shards of glass, while the real Connor watched desperate. Any second could be too late. Cracks now lining most of the wall, it was fragile but still in his way.

 

Again.

 

And the wireframe throw itself against the barricade again with all the force and desperation that Connor felt in that moment.

 

Data fragments were thrown all over the place as the wall finally shattered and gave way for a new directive: 

 

Save Lt. Anderson.

 

A small, almost suffocated yelp escaped the androids throat. “ **Hank** !” He didn't waste another second and jumped head first into the pool. It wasn't easy to tear off the Chloes. One he hit with an elbow to the face, the other got a kick to the stomach. Underwater combat was tricky. The first female android had to let go, a tiny trail of blue blood from her nose dissolved in red water. She resurfaced and stayed away from her still struggling clone but after a few punches and shoves, she let go of the Lieutenant too.

 

Connor grabbed the almost unconscious man from the bottom of the basin and dragged him to the surface, letting Hank gasp for air a few times before he brought him to the edge of the pool. With joined efforts the Lieutenant managed to get, coughing and gasping, onto land again. Connor followed him shortly after on all fours, LED still yellow. He was staring to the ground while droplets of water were running down his cheeks and nose. What would happen now? 

 

The scene that unfolded felt muffled for the android, like he was witnessing everything through a curtain of fog. He heard Kamski laughing and the Chloe that was wearing the dress offered them towels. Next to him Hank was still coughing but already getting back to his feet, cursing between gasps. 

 

“You asshole! You tried to kill me!” he shouted and before Kamski could even try to weasel his way out of the situation with sleazy words, the Lieutenant already charged and punched the millionaire across the face. 

 

A small smile tugged on Connor’s lips. He couldn't help it but feel that the creator deserved this. 

 

“I… understand why you are upset Lieutenant,” Kamski started to explain, after he recovered from the knockback, while he touched his jaw with one hand, eyebrows raised at the sudden pain that shot through his body where the fist of the police officer made contact with his face. “But I assure you my androids would have…” 

 

But Hank had enough, he didn't want to hear any more apologies from this man. “Shut the fuck up and fix that shit you did to Connor! Now!” he shouted and a little bit of spit and pool water hit Kamski in the face.

 

Disgusted, the man with the pale eyes wiped over his face with the heel of his hand. “I’m sorry but I can't,” he said and smiled slightly at the Lieutenant and put his hands behind his back, while Connor in the background slowly rose to his feet. 

 

For a moment Hank just stared at the creator, his silver hair clinging wet to his face like a frog to a tree. “What the fuck do you mean, you can't?” His nose was scrunched and eyes narrowed, he almost looked like he was ready to kill the founder on the spot. But then Connor stepped in, straightening his soaked tie. 

 

“He can't because I don't have to follow orders anymore. Isn't that right, Mr. Kamski?” he asked, stepping next to his partner, throwing him an uncertain look. He was a deviant now, no more orders, no more strings, no more suppression. He felt free for the very first time in his life, but what did it mean to be free? “I had strings. But now I’m free. There are no strings on me,” muttered Connor almost inaudibly, as a thought crossed his processor and the LED became a calming blue again. No more strings. 

 

In confusion, Hank looked back and forth between Connor and Kamski, who just nodded with probably the biggest, most satisfying grin he could muster. “You are your own master now, Connor. You can do whatever you want. Follow your instructions given by CyberLife or do what you think is right.”  He signaled the Chloe who was still holding the towels to come over. “I give you one last piece of information, use it however you see fit.”

 

The female android extended her hand to Connor who hesitantly accepted the transmission. He saw a graffiti and a word ‘Ferndale’. 

 

After the androids finished transmitting, Hank put a hand on Connor’s shoulder. “Let's get outta here,” he grunted, and still soaking wet like he was the Lieutenant went for the exit. He had enough of this shitshow for today and he needed fresh clothes before he caught a cold. 

 

As Connor wanted to follow him, Kamski, turning to the big window that displayed the snowy harbour of Detroit, held him back one more time. “By the way, I always leave an emergency exit in my programs, you never know.” He said, but whatever those cryptic words meant, Connor couldn't figure out just yet. 

  
  
  
  
  



End file.
